


Men of Shadows

by Serpex



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee date, Crimes & Criminals, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Detectives, Investigations, M/M, Murder, Mystery, New Beginnings, Pining, Police, Renewal, Self-Denial, oumasai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serpex/pseuds/Serpex
Summary: It's been ten years since he graduated high school, ten years since he officially started working as a detective, ten years since he let himself be placed above the regular civilians, and ten years since he became a merciless man that no one could get close to. Criminals fell through his hands and into the cages he left without nary a thought. It was always too late to escape the talons the detective squeezed with, sharp nails that dug and destroyed when they'd reached their target.But under the cold guise he puts on, Shuichi has already gone against his ideals. He has a lie that he's carried on his shoulders for the last six months. He had made a choice that left him with unnecessary baggage, and yet, he cannot bear to let himself part with the madman in his life.He rescued Kokichi Ouma, the former felon who'd served ten years for a heinous crime, the murder of Shuichi's classmate, Kaede Akamatsu. He was caught and tried swiftly, but has now fallen into a scuffle where more blood is spilled in the streets. Somehow, Kokichi is in the center of it all, but Shuichi can't bring himself to claim justice this time.He doesn't know if it's the truth anymore.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Kudos: 32





	1. Security

**Author's Note:**

> I only recently finished getting through DRV3 and really had this idea swimming around for a while. So, this is kind of a modern au or sorts. They've got the Danganronpa personalities, but haven't gone through the Danganronpa universe. Does that make sense? I'm not sure what to call it really. Ugh, I have so many other works in progress already, buuuuuuuuuuuuut I wanted to write this anyway. So, I hope y'all like it! Leave a comment and let me know ^^
> 
> Follow my Wattpad: [@Serpex](https://www.wattpad.com/user/Serpex)  
> Follow my IG: [@actualserpex](https://www.instagram.com/actualserpex/)

"How many times do I have to tell you not to go there? It's dangerous," I scolded as I brought the anti-inflammatory cream to his pre-existing cuts that now sported new ones. "I hate seeing you get hurt like this." I could see him tense as it absorbed into the flayed skin, but relax as I wrapped him up.

"It's not so bad," Kokichi muttered. His wistful look angered me a little, but he made no motion to acknowledge my concern. Or rather, he ignored the fact his body was falling apart and opted to watch the city streets from the bedroom window, eyes glazed over with a questionable emotion. "Besides, no matter how much I get hurt, you'll always be here to patch me up. Isn't that right, detective?" I scoffed and moved to put away the first aid. Kokichi moved so that he was laying down now angled to watch the starry night sky. I slowly stripped down to match him so we both lay in only boxers, a feat braved against the cold air. I gently shoved him over and laid next to him. Being careful of his injuries, I moved to pull myself into his side, running rough fingers against his thin waist. The calm of Kokichi's breath filled the room as he closed his eyes and let himself fall under the trance of dancing fingertips moving circles into his hips and muscles.

For a former felon of murder and possibly a second offender, he looked peaceful. Even though he'd done so many things wrong, he felt so small like this, so vulnerable, and so pitiful. And yet, this person had left his mark on the world, a ghastly sinister mark that inevitably ended with blood streaming into the streets. As a government official, I shouldn't even let him come this close, let alone provide to him over and over. Guilt fills me every time I see him, and yet it's quickly replaced by the need to keep him hidden away only for me.

How did this arrangement even come to be?

It's been a few years in the field for me working as a federal detective. I didn't really get too many long term cases, so it's been a quiet life. The money I do receive out of my cut landed me with a deed to this penthouse where I am both immersed in society and far away from it. Yet, one particular case only six months earlier left me with a mess that I can't clean up.

I'd told my superiors that it was a cold case, one that had too many dead ends. They had no reason to doubt my judgment for it had never been wrong in the past. And yet, here they were unable to distinguish the truth hidden behind my carefully crafted lies, an act that left bile stemming from my mouth and drying my tongue. But the words are trapped in my throat, stripped from my voice, and left to rot until all is forgotten.

"You scare me, Kokichi. I worry that one day... You won't come back," I whisper. He snorts and turns to face me. His hand rises and begins to comb through my hair.

"The only way I'll disappear is if I die by your hands. You know that as well as I do. Besides... I can handle myself." And that one sentence sends chills down my spine. If you could handle yourself, Kokichi, you wouldn't grovel in front of my door so often. You wouldn't come back covered in your own blood. Your clothes wouldn't be tattered.

You wouldn't have that smile on your face.

His facade is all a part of his mind games, a disguise for his true intentions. But where others have loose ends to pull and severe revealing the truth, Kokichi leaves no weakness exposed. It's troubling for me because things are different than they were before. Underneath the hidden panel of my closet is a compilation of everything up until now. When the time is right, I will clear his name. Why?

Because Kokichi is innocent.


	2. Favor

The dead leaves crunched beneath my feet and slowly turned into churning snow being compacted with every step I took. Summer was but a fading memory in all of its glory. The small little bakery on this little end of town stuck out like a sore thumb among the tall buildings looming over it. Where stale greys and blacks blanched the old brick and mortar, this one bore yellow streaks on bright orange with green plants nestled against the window. An old cowbell served as its door chimes.

I was thankful to see that there weren't many people. It would become more troublesome if there were. The fewer eyes that are present, the less liable I had to be for anything that went wrong. If they did. I purchased two coffees with two shots of espresso each. I was going to need it for what was about to happen. Popping the lid off and adding a little bit of sugar to mine, I settled on getting a few packets in case the other guy wanted any. I longed to stay in the warm bakery, but unfortunately still had an appointment to get to. The bitter wind nipped at my cheeks and did nothing to ease the familiar ache in my bones.

Reaching the local park, I found the right shelter house that was furthest from any wandering passerby, hidden behind an old rock wall that nobody climbed anymore. In the corner, I saw the small body leaning into the picnic table under the overhang. I sat down across from him and slapped the coffee into his face jolting him from what seemed to be his little nap.

"Why did you call me out here? It's freezing, Kokichi," I scowled. The other man in question squinted in the shadows before taking a little sip from the cup. The autumn air had settled its hands onto the city casting a lifeless gust across the empty park. Little wisps of warmth stirred above the cup before following its cold cousin to who knows where. Above it lay that strange smile that sometimes looked back as if hiding something, knowing something, or sensing that something was going to happen.

"I'm glad you could make it, Shuichi. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," he mused. "I appreciate the coffee. Is this cinnamon?"

"It doesn't matter," I deadpanned. "Get to the point."

"Aha, so demanding," he muttered with a pout before bypassing the sugar and going straight for the cup. "I suppose it doesn't matter much. Formalities do get a little tedious over time. Well, putting plainly, I have a little issue. You see, there's this guy who has been running amok on my turf. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu is his name. Does it ring a bell?"

"It does," I plainly replied. He'd been another criminal that the higher-ups were constantly in disarray about thanks to his tendencies to appear and disappear without a trace. For a loud boisterous guy who could provoke even the calmest cucumber, he played his cards very well and made himself as conspicuously hidden as he was obviously present in a fight. It wasn't my area to chase mafia bosses or mob leaders. But, that didn't mean I was completely out of the loop.

"Well, Shuichi, what do you think about helping me set up a little trap for him? I get him out of the way, and you catch your bad guy. You'll be infamous for catching one of the youngest and most clever little criminals in this city. I have a meeting set up at the docks. It'll be at noon two weeks from today. Fuyuhiko wants some collateral that I supposedly owe, but obviously, I don't plan to hand anything over. The moment he comes, you can come and block up the harbor and corner him. After all, there's only ocean that he could run to. It's easy-pickings for both of us," he beamed. An evil glint twinkled in his eyes as if he was talking about a movie or a show, like a child obsessing over a new toy. "So, what's it going to be, hotshot?"

"I'll be there."

"Fantastic! Well, that's all then. I hope that your skills live up to your name." He took another sip of his coffee and wiggled gleefully in its warmth before getting up and waving his hand at me. "I'll be seeing you, Shuichi."

"Yeah... See you."

Two weeks until the end will come, hmm. A trap is only as good as one who knows it. Unless... Well, there's only one way to find out if a fox still goes into a hole knowing a fire lies on the other side.


	3. Distortion

"This has been a long and hard-fought battle. I'm glad to see him in our custody. Good work, Shuichi."

"... I wasn't the one who brought him in, Kyoko," I deadpanned.

"Rantaro is still on your team though. His resilience is what got him this far and what finally led Kokichi into our hands. The undercover job was perfect. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked as she glanced in my direction. I averted my gaze and hid my expression under the brim of my hat.

"I suppose so. But, let's not waste any more time. I'll lead the interrogation and report whatever I find afterward. Surely, you have other matters to attend to, yes?" Kyoko sighed and just shook her head.

"Of course I do," she muttered. "But, excuse me for being interested in a criminal that we've been searching for over a year." A year, huh? Had it already been that long? Kyoko said something under her breath, but I couldn't make it out before she stomped away. The click of her heels echoed through the hallway until the door closed shut behind her.

Taking a step back, I looked through the one-way window to the interrogation room where he was sitting. He had gone missing for those two weeks the last time I saw him. But compared to how regal he was before, he looked nothing like he used to. His hair had grown out, long, wild, and jutting out like a hedgehog. Dark bangs curtained along his eyes hiding wherever they seemed to be looking. It almost seemed like he was a different person. They cuffed both of his hands to the table along metal rods on each side, a precaution to keep him from hurting anyone else and to protect me. I was glad that no one else was here though.

This interrogation was one that would hold the difference between life and death.

I adjusted my worn-out coat before trudging into the room. The electronic lock behind me buzzed as I pocketed my card key. The chair screeched across the tile floor as I sat down and faced the criminal.

"Hey."

"...You betrayed me." Small and quaint, yet it wasn't necessarily a false accusation.

"Fuyuhiko won't leave this city. He can be dealt with another time. But you... You're the suspicious one."

"I gave you a simple task and a free opportunity," he hissed. Metal cracked against the table like a whip against a bull. He jerked his head up and there I saw the discrepancy. Murderous intent was clearly pasted in those eyes with sheer anger striking against me. For how everything fell apart in front of him, it was with pure hate he had for me.

But, I wasn't without my own grudge that I wanted to act on.

It wasn't a smooth operation by any means. Simply put, a week before we were set to play into Kokichi's plan, I found myself cornered by Fuyuhiko himself. It was well timed for what I wanted. Long story short, I wanted to give Fuyuhiko a free pass, a temporary alliance because I had to find the truth behind that person, the person who thinks they can pull a cover over my eyes. It was on special instruction that I requested a team whose sole purpose was to bring Kokichi in instead. In normal cases, I wouldn't have questioned it, but this is far from normal. There is more behind this that I wish I could turn a blind eye to.

Because I can't. I didn't before, and I won't abandon Kokichi now.

"You should know better than to lie to me," I solemnly stated, running my hands along the edge of the table. "Let's not beat around the bush. Who are you and where is he?"

"What?" The one across from me blinked profusely and furrowed their eyebrows together. "What are you on about, Shuichi?"

"Fine, be like that. But, I no longer feel obligated to be nice to you." In a swiftly paced meandering, I walked to the corner of the room and reached up. As electrical crackling filled the air, I yanked the security camera out and threw it to the floor. The figure flinched as I made my way over and grabbed their head.

"No, no, no! Stop it! What the hell are you doing?!" they shrieked. I dug my hand into their face and pulled. Almost like an old putty, the skin peeled away with a grotesque sloshing as hours of work revealed the culprit underneath. The masculine features that I had grown to know well were no longer present. Instead, I found myself in front of a more elusive criminal that I thought I would never see again.

The one who testified so many years ago during Kokichi's trial and condemned his public character for the murder of Kaede Akamatsu was her: Tsumugi Shirogane. Her eye-witness account was what drove the final nail to Kokichi's coffin. And now, she was back to wreak havoc once more.

I yanked her collar straining her forward as she pulled against her cuffs to no avail. "Surely, you don't take me for a fool. Now, I won't ask again. Where is he, the real Kokichi?" A spitball planted itself on my chin and dripped onto the table as Tsumugi sneered with a murderous glare grilled in her eyes.

"How did you know? He was next to you like glue for so long. I swore that you wouldn't have any qualms," she said. I scoffed and wiped my face with my sleeve before releasing her collar and watching her slump back into her seat.

"It was simple, really. Kokichi doesn't call me by my name," I replied. Tsumugi let out a defeated laugh.

"So, what you're telling me is that my downfall is because I said your name? Are you serious right now?" The room started to fill with a tired cackling until she calmed down. "You have one hour, Shuichi. He won't have long until he's swallowed by the ocean's depths."

"You won't escape this time and you won't drag another victim to the afterlife, Tsumugi." With that, I turned on my heels and activated the door. I could hear Tsumugi break into another fit of deranged laughter as the heavy door closed behind me. "I hope you won't be late."

I swear that I won't let Kokichi die.


	4. Ameliorate

"Why did you save me?"

The question irked me and made me quicken my steps pacing back and forth in the room. Even as the real Kokichi lay in the hospital bed fighting for his life with every bated breath he had, he still chose to question my actions.

"Does it truly matter? You're alive," I answered. He took a long slow deep breath as his eyes closed and opened in an almost inhuman mechanical fashion. The panes of his oxygen mask fogged up along the sides and then returned to their transparent place.

We'd barely made it back out in time. The port had been empty of anything important until we saw a buoy floating in the distance. A strange chain was tied to and sank down. As we pulled it up, we found Kokichi bound and wearing scuba gear and a small tank that was depleting air. His icy body had long lost its circulation and merely fell limp in my arms. His chest barely rose with each breath he could bear, vitals quickly falling short. Tsumugi hadn't gone lightly in bringing Kokichi to his grave. If he didn't die from hypothermia, he would when the oxygen tank ran out.

Even in his condition, I was glad to see him here and alive even if he was bedridden.

"I would ask the same. Did saving me matter? You caught the real culprit," Kokichi stated.

"Catching a culprit should not be at the expense of someone's life," I retorted. I finally rounded the side of the bed and planted myself on the small couch between Kokichi and the window. "You never did anything wrong. That guy impersonated you, even from back then. Blood was never on your hands, and you were punished despite that. I couldn't just let things go a second time."

"And why is that?"

"Why? Damn it, Kokichi, why do you keep asking me? Why do you keep wanting to know? Why can't you just accept that you're alive and well?" I shouted. A knock at the door made both of us freeze as two nurses came in asking if everything was alright. I quickly calmed myself before dismissing them. Making a mental note to lower my voice, I continued. "Is it just so hard to ask you to live, to not throw away your mind, your body, or your life? I just can't take it anymore. I was scared. I was... I don't want to lose you. Kokichi, please. I love you, you've been the center of my life for all these months. I can't let you go like that."

"You love me?"

"I— Shit." A moment of silence passed as I started nervously staring at Kokichi who promptly stared at the ceiling trying to contemplate what he just heard me accidentally blurt out.

"I suppose that explains a few things," he muttered. "No one lies without a strong resolve. And love is something that meets that powerful level of requirement. I'm not... I'm not saying I dislike it, but it's unexpected coming from you. I wonder if you would feel the same if you knew the reality."

"Reality of what?"

"Isn't it obvious? The fact is this: I used you for my benefit. You're dislikable enough among your peers that no one approaches you. Even more so due to your career and reputation, you are a one-way glass box in this city where I can hide. Is that not infuriating?" He paused for a moment taking a long deep breath. His eyes rolled back and squished together as if deep in thought before he continued. "That time that I spent with you was one of the most risky moves I've ever made, and yet, I found myself at peace in your presence. It's strange for someone like me to feel safe in the arms of the one who was out to capture me. I found myself falling into a trap but I made no effort to get back out. I was happy for the first time in a long while. Even if it was brief, that was more than I could ever ask for. Shuichi Saihara, I love you, too. Although, that bit of uneven stubble on your face needs to go. I don't like scratchy kisses."

"What?" I instinctively touched my jaw and found it riddled with spiky hairs out of embarrassment. But as the cogs in my head finally caught up with the words I heard, I felt like a deer in the headlights. "That's... That's awesome!" Although a lame answer, I couldn't think of anything else. I felt tears falling down my face as I hurriedly wiped them away much to Kokichi's amusement.

"What are you getting all flustered for? I literally just confessed," Kokichi said with a light smirk on his face. "What? Did no one ever confess their feelings for you?"

"Of course not!" I hissed with a rather bashful demeanor. "You are the first person who's ever confessed to me. I don't know how to react. None of the cowboy romance novels I've read ever turn out like this."

"So, you're into cowboy romance? That explains why you're like that. I like it."

"I'm like what?"

"You're lean, fit, and built like a solid mountain of muscle. It's hot and cozy."

"Kokichi!"

"Ehe, or maybe this is the rambling of a patient under the influence of medicated drugs."

"I object! That's wrong! You are definitely more coherent than the average patient right now!" I cried. Kokichi started to laugh before his breath hitched and he started coughing. I ran to his side and grabbed his throat making sure it didn't close up. Once he calmed down, I let out a sigh of relief and headed back to the couch. "Jeez, please don't die on me now after stirring my heart like this."

"Ah, so it wasn't the fact I nearly drowned?"

"Kokichi, I am going to punch you."

"I'll call assault."

"Sue me."

"Don't tempt me."

A stare down ensued for a brief moment before Kokichi conceded and turned away and shifted himself so he sat more upright. I silently cheered triumphantly in my head.

"So, what are we now?" Kokichi asked. I pondered his question before shrugging.

"Whatever you want to be, I suppose," I replied. "Are you opposed to being together?"

"Well, no."

"Then, lovers. We can be lovers," I declared. With a new name to ours, we both let a smile fall on our lips. Our hands linked together like two peas in a pod. It was one of the most exhilarating feelings I ever felt. "You have a long recovery period ahead of you, but I promise you this, Kokichi. I will be beside you every step of the way." Kokichi pulled his hand away before thrusting his pinky at me.

"Alright, call?" I nodded and linked my pinky with his.

"Call." No matter what happens, I won't let anyone stop me from proving justice and beyond that, I won't call forth the truth against an empty lie. Never again will something like this happen.

Be it from the light or from the shadows, the truth strikes out against all odds unveiling itself in a spectacle. Both good and bad people exist in this world, but not everyone gets refuge for the right thing. One day, I will expel it all. It might be fate, destiny, or just a gut feeling. But, I don't need that to know that what my actions up to now have proven was the right choice. I have to continue from here, but now I have Kokichi by my side. I've lived years fighting against a lie, and finally prevailed. Nothing can stop me until the final breath will leave my lungs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you that made it this far. As some of you know, I'm kind of new to Danganronpa, but I really love the games. The more I'm diving into it, the more I've kind of fallen in love with the characters. I might do some more in the future, but I hope some of you have enjoyed this short story I've written over the last few weeks. Let me know what you thought or anything I could improve on. Maybe even some ideas for the future. I'm glad you guys came along for the ride and I'll see you in the next story ^^


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